Thermal and hydration therapy mask with easily removable thermal pads

ABSTRACT

An eyewear apparatus which maintains a sealed cavity in front of a user&#39;s eye area when engaged to the face in an as-worn position. The device features a mask configured to contain one or both of thermal and moisture pads. The projecting edge portion surrounding said mask provides a seal to maintain the cavity between the device and the user&#39;s face to contain the temperature and humidity differential. Plugs are designed to allow the user to replace or resupply either or both of the thermal and moisture pads without removing the mask from the wearer.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The disclosed device and method, relate to an apparatus enabling asystem and method for eye hydration therapy. More particularly, thesystem provides enhanced hydration therapy therethrough the employmentof removably engageable heated and moisturized inserts which whenengaged within a face mask, communicate humidity and hydration therapyto the user's eyes. The device in an as-used engagement over the user'sface to form a sealed cavity in communication with the user's eyes, isemployable to relieve the symptoms of eye disorders such as Dry Eye,Blepharitis and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Diseases and conditions relating to dry eye, are widespread in theUnited States where as many as 20-25% of the population suffers from oneor more eye disorders relating to dry eyes.

Of the approximately 60 million Americans who suffer from dry eyeconditions, more than 10 million Americans have been diagnosed withsevere dry eye conditions such as Dry Eye Syndrome or Chronic Dry EyeDisease (CDED). Both of these conditions are conventionally known asKeratoconjunctivitis sicca and both are extremely hard to treateffectively. CDED stems from inflammation in the eyes and tear-producingglands. This inflammation causes a decrease in the ability to produceand communicate natural tears to the eyes. The resulting lack of tearscauses a breakdown in the patient's body of its natural ability toclean, protect and moisten the eyes.

Further, approximately 75% of the 60 million people suffering from dryeye symptoms experience Evaporative Dry Eye, which is caused by a lackof natural oil in the content of produced tears. The remainder of DryEye is categorized as aqueous deficient Dry Eye. In patients withaqueous deficient Dry Eye, there is a decrease in one or both of thequality and quantity of the tears produced naturally.

CDED as noted above, is often a result of normal aging of the eye,however such symptoms of dry, irritated, tired eyes can occur inpatients at any age. Symptoms of a CDED condition are experienced byapproximately 75% of men and women over the age of 65, but are mostlyprevalent among women who are postmenopausal or pregnant. Approximatelyfour million of those Americans, experience CDED as a symptom ofSjogren's syndrome, a chronic, slowly progressive autoimmune diseasecharacterized by dryness of the eyes and mouth and recurrent salivaryenlargement, although other diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis,lupus, scleroderma, and thyroid disease, can also cause CDED.

Health, environmental, and lifestyle conditions, can also trigger CDED.In the United States for example, many of the 50 million peoplesuffering from allergies, the 38 million Americans who wear contactlenses, have a greater risk of developing CDED.

Other circumstances which cause can significantly dry, irritate, andfatigue the eye of both children and especially adults, include,computer use, living or working in environments where humidity isbetween 5% to 15% and thus very low, flying in an airplane whichmaintain low humidity as a rule, ingesting or using certain medications,eye surgery, and certain medical conditions, such as blepharitis(inflammation of the eyelids). As can be seen, CDED affects a majorportion of the population in one form or another, either in an ongoingor temporary fashion depending on the patient and the venue orenvironment.

Some early symptoms suffered by patients with CDED include: 1) temporaryocular burning sensations; 2) a persistent, painful gritty sensation inthe eyes; 3) an inability to cry under emotional stress; 4) decreasedtolerance of contact lens use; and 5) in extreme cases, unusualsensitivity to light, severe eye pain, or diminished vision. Thesymptoms of CDED often increase from morning to night, intensify fromperiodic to persistent pain if untreated.

As the American population ages, and with the increasing prevalence ofpollution, chemical allergens, eye taxing computer and cell phonescreens, and air travel and the like, CDED diagnoses will continue torise. Concurrently, the need for improved methods and devices for theeffective treatment of CDED will escalate.

In patients suffering from CDED, in order to effectively hydrate theeyes and reduce eye inflammation, sufficient heat must be communicatedto the eyes of the patient to express oils from the meibomian glands.However, this communication of heat must be accomplished without burningor irritating the skin and internal surfaces of the eyelids andeye-surrounding skin tissue.

A conventional treatment employed and recommended by physicians fordecades, is the use of moistened hot wash towel. The hot and moist towelis placed in contact with and over the eyelids, for a period of up to 10minutes and sometimes more, to help moisten the eyes and relievesymptoms of CDED.

Such towels and moist cloths however, being exposed to surround airwhich is cooler than the towel itself, tend to cool to room temperaturewithin three minutes as the heat in the towel communicates to the cooleratmosphere. As a consequence, the patient, or the user treating apatient, must constantly disrupt their therapy to reheat and reapply thewashcloth.

In addition, temperature and humidity regulation with this moist towelmethod is difficult. This is because the moisture communicated is verydependant on the selected cloth and the temperature of the water withwhich it is saturated. Less absorbent fabric may hold less moisture, andsome fabrics are prone to more easily communicate the moisture with thesurrounding atmosphere, and thereby cause a faster decrease in bothtemperature and fluid content.

Additionally, the employment and use of moistened towels and cloths isat best, cumbersome. This is because such washcloths being exposed topathogens present on a user's skin, and floating in the air, must bethoroughly cleaned to reduce the risk of subsequent communication ofsuch pathogens or bacteria to the eye of a patient resulting in eyeinfection.

Still further, moist towels such as terrycloth or other fabrics, easilydrip, especially if over-saturated, and require the user to remainrelatively still and recline during use as movement increases such drip.Even absent such movement, the slow spread of multiple drips down thepatient's face and neck can be extremely irritating during a treatmentsession which is supposed to be calming.

Doctors may also prescribe heat and moisture treatment to the eyes forrelated surgery rehabilitation or relaxation. A similar, but inverse,treatment is also prescribed to mitigate persistent headaches andmigraines through a cold compress intended to communicate coldtemperatures to the eyes. As can be discerned, the anticipation of acold towel and cold drips and running of water on a patient's face isnot always eagerly received.

Prior art has yielded a few therapeutic masks which are adapted toreplace the wash cloth or cold compress in communicating heat or cold tothe user's eyes. Some such devices also attempt to segregate heat orcold to the eye area through embedded or removable enclosed pods whichcan be moistened and heated.

One goggle apparatus, for heating and hydrating the eyes, has beendescribed per U.S. Pat. No. 7,231,922. With this device, the user placesa removable heated pad in each goggle socket and places the device overand around their head, so that the pads cover their eyes for theprescribed period. If the duration of heat, or cold, and hydration whichcan be provided by the removable pads is less than the prescribedtreatment time, however, the user must remove the apparatus to reinsertnew heated pods, and thus disrupt the stored temperature differentialand heated humid atmosphere within the goggles.

In addition, although a goggle type device may communicate the heat orcold to the most affected area in the tissue directly surrounding theeyes, it is also considered important to apply therapy to the entireocular facial area. Such therapy ensures that surrounding dry tissuedoes not draw moisture or heat away from the affected area duringtreatment or once treatment ceases. Further, such surrounding tissuetemperature communication is important to increase the therapeuticextent the for facial surgery recovery, and the treatment of migraines.

As such, there is an unmet need for a thermal and hydrating system andcomponent for the eyes and surrounding tissue of a patient, which allowsthe user to replenish the heat and source of moisture quickly and easilywithout removing the apparatus. Such a device should be configured totreat the entire ocular facial area or a portion thereof as needed. Sucha device should be configured to communicate heat or cold at will, andthereby even be able to provide progressive hot and cold therapies to apatient, without removal of the main component of the device providingthe sealed chamber adjacent the eyes and facial surface of the patient.Still further, such a device should, when worn by a patient, allow anattendant to easily resupply the heat or cold source and/or moisture tothe treatment cavity, without the need for the patient to move and/orremove the device forming the treatment chamber communicatingtemperature and/or humidity to the tissue of the eyes and surroundingarea of the patient.

The device and method described herein, accordingly comprises thefeatures of such a device, in the construction, use, combination ofelements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified by theconstructions hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention willbe indicated in the claims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The disclosed device and method, employs a face mask style component,configured to form a treatment cavity adjacent the eyes and thesurrounding tissue of the eyes of a user or patient. This treatmentchamber, when sealed from the outside atmosphere, communicates ahydrated atmosphere to the area of the eyes and surrounding skin of thepatient, providing a means for maintaining the eyes in a controlledatmosphere which is in a hydrated and heated, or cooled condition. Sincethe use of moist-heat is more therapeutic than dry heat, the deviceherein provides a much more therapeutic treatment to the wearer or user.

Maintaining the atmosphere in the treatment chamber both moist andheated, which allows the moist heat to penetrate deeply in the treatedarea adjacent the chamber and thereby promotes circulation. Additionallythe moist heat hydrates the sensitive eye lid and surrounding skin andthe entire area remains covered for the entire treatment. Further, dueto the area of the treatment chamber and the provision of moist heat,the device and method herein is able to affect a much greater area ofskin while also treating the lid margin.

Unlike prior art, thermal and/or moisture pads herein, providingphysical contact and/or atmospheric communication, of temperature andhumidity are engageable to the formed facemask to communicatetemperature and moisture to the treatment cavity, through insertion intoa wall of the facemask. In the favored mode where such insertion isaccomplished, such is provided from exterior the endwall of thefacemask, opposite the users eyes. Such engagement may be accomplishedwithout the need for the facemask to be dismounted and can allow theuser to lay prone or in a chair while the medical or other personalattend to the treatment.

Thus with the facemask in the as-used position with the sealing end ofthe sidewall surrounding the eye and face area of the patient, the padsand gel packs providing heat and moisture pads may all be engagedthrough the opposing sidewall of the facemask from the eyes, and engagedin an insertion direction toward the face of the patient.

While in another mode of the device, the thermal pads or gel packsand/or moisture pads are configured to be inserted from the insidesurface, if such is desirable by users, engagement from the exterioroffers more utility. Using exterior engagement, the wearer need notdismount the facemask for initial or subsequent engagement of thermalan/or moisture pads but may remain prone or sitting with the facemaskattached. As noted, this is especially useful in a medical or spasetting where the user is prone and relaxing and being attended to byprofessionals.

Additionally, the therapeutic effects of temperature and/or humidity arenot constrained to the area directly covering and surrounding the eyes,but instead may be communicated to areas adjacent the eyes and withinthe formed treatment chamber of the facemask. Still further, using theexterior engagement allows for sequential treatments where heat and coldare sequentially engaged to the treatment cavity.

The facemask component is formed of a sidewall having a first edgeextending to a contact surface which is adapted for sealed engagementwith the face. The opposite or second end of the sidewall intersects anendwall running somewhat normal to the sidewall and in a shapeconforming to the arch of the user's face. The sealed engagement of thecontact surface with the skin of the face forms a protective shelldefining a treatment cavity between the sidewall of the facemask, theendwall, and the skin of the face of the patient.

In the favored mode where temperature and/or moisture pads arepositioned within the treatment cavity from the exterior side of theendwall, apertures sized for pad insertion, for placement of heat orcold and/or moisture into the treatment cavity, are operativelypositioned in the endwall of the facemask.

The sidewall of the facemask extending from the endwall, to a permiteredge adapted or configured for a sealed engagement against the face ofthe user, forming a sealing perimeter edge portion. The sidewallpermiter at this seal, and the endwall is configured to form thetreatment cavity between the endwall of the facemask and the skin of thepatient, in a configuration in a shape of the ocular facial area andsurrounding skin areas. Perforated walls may also be positioned behindthe pad insertion apertures and within the treatment cavity to helpconstrain and secure the thermal pads in the device if the pads or gelpacks are disengaged from the plugs engaging the apertures.

With the facemask engaged to an as-used position on the face and forminga treatment cavity surrounding and adjacent the skin of the eyes andsurrounding tissue of the eyes, once the thermal pads provided by gelpacks which may be heated, or chemically activated packs, and/orhydrated pad components are engaged with the apertures in the endwall,the sealing plug providing the engagement with the aperture acts to sealthe treatment cavity and maintain the heat, cold and humidity within themask, and away from the atmosphere which can quickly disperse it.

In a preferred form, the sealing plugs have a circular shape and aV-shaped cross section, and are made of a pliable material. By pinchingthe plug's flat V walls to compress the circular portion, the user caninsert a plug into each of the complimentary apertures. Thereafter, uponrelease of the compression, the elastic circular portion rebounds inshape to allow the plug's perimeter to seal against the shell.Alternative sealing plugs, if constructed from a stiffer material, canscrew into or plug into the apertures, or be configured to snap in andout. These and all such modes of cooperative sealed engagement of theplugs with the apertures as would occur to those skilled in the art areanticipated within the scope of this patent.

The mask and sealing plugs can be constructed from formable materialsincluding from a group of such materials including any one or acombination of foam, rubber, silicone, latex, fiberglass, polymericmaterial, or any form of plastic material employable to molding thesidewall and endwall. All portions of the mask which are designed tocome in direct contact with the face should be soft and flexible butdurable and a soft gasket may be installed on the edge of the sidewallcontacting the face. All porous materials should contain watertightcovers or surfaces for easy cleaning. The mask and plug can be designedto be transparent opaque or preferably light insulating, for treatingmigraines.

Means for biased engagement of the sidewall against the face of the userto maintain a good seal, can be provided by straps or flexible bands.The band extends from both ends of the facemask and around the head ofthe user and is preferably slightly elastic so as to impart a bias topress the mask against the user's face.

In an as-worn position, with the flexible seal edge of the sidewall incontact with the user's face, and surrounding their eye area and forminga seal therewith, the product forms an interior treatment cavityin-between the endwall, sidewall, and the face. Sealing the thermal padswithin the device creates an interior cavity with controlled humidityand temperature per the prescribed therapeutic remedy. The mask can alsoincorporate heatable gel pack covers for the endwall and/or sidewall, ina variety of fabrics, texture and shapes. The mask might utilize onelarge gel pack or two or more gel packs (heat source) allowing for themto have the greatest performance.

Further, one or more gel packs and fabric cover can easily be heated ina microwave, hot water, or conventional oven, cabbie (used in spas toheat towels), using steam, prior to use. Should cold therapy bedesirable, gel packs can be cooled in ice, freezer, ice water, orrefrigerator and then be engaged with the facemask to communicate coldto the treatment cavity.

With respect to the above description, before explaining at least onepreferred embodiment of the herein disclosed invention in detail, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited in its application tothe details of construction and to the arrangement of the components inthe following description or illustrated in the drawings. The inventionherein described is capable of other embodiments and of being practicedand carried out in various ways which will be obvious to those skilledin the art. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology andterminology employed herein are for the purpose of description andshould not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conceptionupon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basisfor the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carryingout the several purposes of the presently disclosed device. It isimportant, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including suchequivalent construction and methodology insofar as they do not departfrom the spirit and scope of the present invention.

It is an object of this invention to provide a therapeutic thermal mask,dimensioned to form a treatment cavity adjacent the entire eye area ofthe face.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide means for easilyreplacing thermally conductive pads or packs to communicate temperaturedifferential within the treatment cavity of the mask, as a means toregulate the temperature and humidity, without disrupting the period oftherapy.

These together with other objects and advantages which becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of the construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

In the drawing figures, which are not to scale and which are merelyillustrative and wherein like reference characters denote similarelements throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the facemask apparatus formed ofan endwall having a sidewall or a perimeter edge portion projectingtherefrom at an angle adapted to seal within the orbital bone around theeye area. The facemask is adapted to engage a flexible strap forsecurement to an as-worn position.

FIG. 2 is an overhead view of the device in an as-worn position on theface of a patient or user lying down.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the device as it would appear in the as-wornposition showing the sidewall projecting around the permiter of theendwall.

FIG. 4 is a sliced view through FIG. 3, showing the perimeter featureswhich seal the mask against the face and the placement of temperatureand hydrating pads within the cavity.

FIG. 5 is a detailed sliced view of one section of the facemask andseparated pinched sealing plug adjacent a complimentary aperture in theendwall.

FIG. 6 is a detailed sliced view of the device of FIG. 5, showing theplug having a sealed removable engagement with the facemask in thecomplimentary aperture of the endwall.

FIG. 7 depicts a mode of the device wherein the gel pack providingthermal conduction and/or the hydrating pad are engaged with the plug,and removable and replaceable as a unit.

FIG. 8 depicts the unitary plug with thermal and hydrating pads removedfrom the aperture of FIG. 7.

FIG. 8A shows a unitary plug and pad component as in FIG. 8, whereinboth a temperature pad for hot or cold and a moisture pad, are engagedto the plug although the combination can be employed with any mode orembodiment herein.

FIG. 9 show a mode of the plug of any of the figures herein, adapted foran insertion of a supplemental heat, cooling, or hydrating component.

FIG. 10 depicts a mode of the device, with a plug which inserts from theinterior side of the endwall within the treatment cavity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings of FIGS. 1-10 there are shown variousaspects of the device 10 and method herein. Shown in FIG. 1 there can beseen a perspective view of the mask 12 of the device 10, as it would beheld in a biased engagement to the face of a user to the as-wornposition by a flexible strap 13.

As shown in the drawings the device 10 is formed to a mask 12configuration, having an endwall 15 communicating to a traverse sidewall13 which defines a permiter footprint on the face of the user which isof sufficient size to position a treatment cavity, 25 adjacent to andcovering both eye sockets of the human wearer. The sidewall 13 is of apermiter shape and length to form an offset of the treatment cavity 25which extends from 1 to 2 inches in a surrounding area of each eyesocket. This surrounding portion of the treatment cavity 25 provides ameans to communicate temperature and moisture therapy to the skin andtissue surrounding the eye to the distance of the surrounding area.

The mask endwall 15 and sidewall 13 are shaped about their respectiveperimeters to provide a U-shaped cutout 16 area, per FIGS. 1 and 2 whichallows for comfortable communication of the user's nose therethrough.The sidewall 13 shown as edges of the mask endwall 15 of the masksidewall 13, project in a direction traverse to the curved plane of theendwall 15 and toward the face of the user to form a seal therewithalong the circumference of the endwall 15. The endwall 15 has a flexibleedge 14 portion which is of a durometer to be soft and pliable andconform in shape to the face of the user to form a seal. The flexibleedge 14 if part of the sidewall 13 may bend tangent to the facialanatomy at key locations to form means to increase the surface area ofthe contact of the edge of the sidewall 13 and the face, and an enhancedseal against the face.

Also shown in FIG. 1, the mask 12 provides means for cooperativeengagement with the strap in the form of slots 18. The slot or slots 18provide a pathway and thus are adapted for attachment to the elasticstrap which may be employed with the device 10 to provide a means tobias the edge of the sidewall 13 to a seal pressed against the user'sface. The slots 18 and strap can alternatively be replaced with hooks,velcro, buttons, snaps, or temples, or other fastening components toprovide a means for engagement of the mask 12 to the as-worn position.The fastening feature must be designed for extended use and wear and toaccommodate bands and straps of various sizes to accommodate varioushead sizes as can the size of the mask 12 by varying the size of theendwall 15 and extending sidewall 13 to accommodate different sized andshaped faces.

As depicted in FIG. 5-6, the mask 12 contains two apertures 28,preferably placed to align with the adjacent user's eyes or closethereto. Pads 24, which may be thermal reservoirs of heat or cold, suchas gel packs, which may be heated or chilled, or which may be liquidreservoirs to communicate moisture to the treatment cavity 25, orcombinations thereof, can be placed within the cavity 25. Placement mayeither be placed against a containment wall 26 as in FIG. 4-6, or may beengaged with the leading surface of the plug 20 as in FIGS. 7-10. Thecontainment wall 26 is preferably a flexible textile material or sheetmaterial formed to allow passage of water vapor therethrough such as awoven or non woven fabrics or polymer sheeting with perforationscommunicating between both sides of the sheeting.

These apertures 28 are also designed complimentary to the shape of eachaccept a sealing plug 20, to allow for a removable sealed engagementtherein. This effectively allows the pads 24 and their contents of heat,cold, or moisture, or combinations thereof, to be in a sealedcommunication withing the treatment cavity 25, within the device 10.This allows for an ongoing communication of one or a combination ofheat, cold, and moisture to the treatment cavity 25 which is engageableas well as renewable through the endwall 15 without the need to removethe mask 12 from the as-worn position.

When the pads 24 providing the thermal reservoir and/or moisturereservoir to supply the cavity 25 are separated from the plug 20, asheet of perforated containment wall 26 is positioned within the cavity25 adjacent a position to align with each eye when in the as-wornposition. This maintains the pads 24 and their communicated heat, cold,and/or moisture, operatively positioned within the cavity 25 andimmediately adjacent to, or if desired, in a biased contact with, theeyelid and/or eye socket area of the face of the wearer.

The contact pressure can be adjusted for more or less force, byemploying an elastic fabric or sheet of perforated material for thecontainment wall 26, and forming the plugs 20 with a plug endwall 21which projects a distance more, or less, toward the eye of the user whenin sealed engagement with the apertures 28.

Alternatively, the circumference of the plug 20 at the engagement pointwith the aperture 28, may be threaded 31 or configured in some otherfashion to translate in its engagement through the aperture 28 andprovide a means to translate the plug a distance toward and away fromthe user's eye. Moving the plug endwall 21 toward the eye will increasepressure of the pad 24 by stretching the elastic sheet forming thecontainment wall 26, while rotating the plug 20 to move the plug endwall 21 away from the eye of the user will reduce or eliminate anypressure of the pad 24 on the eye.

The sealing plug 20, is preferably composed of a durable but flexibleplastic or polymeric material which is substantially waterproof and willnot pass air therethrough. Further the material should be of a typewhich can withstand direct contact with the heat or cold of pads 24which are thermal reservoirs, and hold up to the moisture should thepads 24 be moisture pads 24. In the mode which is pinched for removal,the plug 20 has a circular engagement end and a V-shaped cross sectionwith two angled V-walls 22 as in FIG. 5. Channels or threads around thesealing plug's 20 perimeter allow it to seal against the edge of theaperture 28 within the endwall 15 or sidewall 13 of the formed mask 12.

In the mode of the plug 20 which rotatably engages such as in FIG. 7-8,a compressive engagement may be achieved as in FIG. 7 by pressing theplug 20 which engaged to one or more pads 24, into the aperture 28. Iftranslation is desired to adjust a pressure to the pad 24 where either acontainment wall 26 holds the pad 24, or where the pad 24 is engaged tothe end of the plug 20, using a containment wall 26 or other means, asin FIGS. 7-8, then threads 31 shown in FIG. 8 or other means fortranslatable engagement of the plug 20 through the aperture 28 may beemployed.

One mode of the procedure or method for sealing the device 10 subsequentto a thermal and/or moisture pad 24 insertion, can be seen in FIG. 5-6,whereas, the user pinches the sealing plug's 20 V-walls 22 to compressit, and allow the sealing plug to insert and nest into the orifices 28in the mask 12. The other mode as noted using the plug 20 of FIG. 8, mayemploy a rotation and threads 31 to translate the plug 20 into theaperture 28, and thereby also translate the plug endwall 21 toward andaway from the user's eye.

The thermal reservoir 24 a and/or moisture reservoir 24 b formed as pads24, as shown in the various figures, may be employed combined orseparate and can be composed of glycerin beads, sodium acetate, clay,water, foam, fabric, rice or other materials which can hold in adispensable reservoir, sufficient moisture to communicate to the cavity25. Such materials are also easily be heated in a microwave orconventional oven, or cooled in a freezer or refrigerator to therebyprovide a combination thermal and hydration reservoir to communicatesuch to the cavity.

The pads 24, when configured as thermal reservoirs 24 a can also beengineered to dissipate heat over the defined period of time, and withmeasures to prevent overheating or burning the user. This isaccomplished using a separate material as a thermal reservoir 24 a forheat or cold such as a gel pak formed of a thermally conductive gel heldwithing a flexible housing. Pads 24 formed of such gel pak material canbe combined with pads 24 formed of moisture reservoir 24 b materialacting as a hydration reservoir, may be used in combinations to achievethe heat and/or moisture desired in the treatment chamber 25 such as inFIGS. 8-10.

Further, the pads 24 formed as thermal reservoirs 24 a and pads 24providing a moisture reservoir 24 b, can be disposable or reusable, andcan be designed to be inserted into a sleeve made of gauze, fabric, foamor other materials to aid with moisture and heat dissipation. The modeof the plug 20 of FIG. 8 a can be employed with any embodiment of thedevice and is especially well configured to place a thermal reservoir 24a section adjacent a pad 24 which is a moisture reservoir 24 b, in asingle unit which may hydrated and then heated or chilled and engaged inthe aperture. Such combination plugs 20 can be provided in sterilewrapping and heated or chilled subsequent to unwrapping and thenengaged.

FIG. 7 depicts a mode of the device of FIG. 8 engaged to the mask 12,wherein the pad 24 is a hydrating pad formed of a material adapted to bea moisture reservoir 24 b and is placed adjacent a pad 24 configured asa thermal reservoir 24 a which is formed by the gel pack which willcommunicate temperature change to the cavity 25 by providing thermalconduction and concurrently heating the hydrating pad 24 adjacentthereto to encourage heated moisture to the cavity 25.

As noted above FIG. 8 depicts the unitary mode of pad 24 and plug 20which may either have a pad 24 formed of thermal reservoir 24 amaterial, or a hydration reservoir 24 b material, or a combination ofboth, all engaged to the plug 20 and easily inserted as a unit to theaperture 28 for communication to the cavity 25.

FIG. 9 show a mode of the plug 20 of any of the figures herein. In thismode the plug 20 has a slot 39 which is configured for insertion of asupplemental component 41 to add an additional reservoir and supply ofheat, cooling, or hydration during a treatment without removing the plug20 from the mask 12.

Finally, FIG. 10 depicts a mode of the device 10, with a plug 20 whichinserts from the interior side of the endwall 15 within the treatmentcavity 25 which may be desirable with some users.

While all of the fundamental characteristics and features of the deviceherein have been disclosed and described, with reference to particularembodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes andsubstitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure and it will beapparent that in some instance, some features of the invention will beemployed without a corresponding use of other features without departingfrom the scope of the invention as set forth. It should be understoodthat such substitutions, modifications, and variations may be made bythose skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope ofthe invention. Consequently, all such modifications and variations areincluded within the scope of the invention as defined herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. An eyewear apparatus for maintaining a sealedcavity in front of a user's eye surrounding area when engaged to theface in an as-worn position, comprising: a cupped semi-cylindrical maskwhich sufficiently covers the skin around both eyes, with an extendedcircumferential edge; said mask having projecting edge portion formed offlexible material, extending from said circumferential edge, saidprojecting edge portion having a first surface positionable in contactwith said face of said user in a seal, when in said as-worn position;said sealed cavity defined by the area between an interior surface ofsaid curved mask portion and said face of said user covering said eyesurrounding area, when said mask is worn in said as-worn position; saidprojecting edge deformable into said cavity by pressure thereon fromoutside said cavity; said sealed cavity providing means to maintainhigher humidity and temperature differential in said cavity
 2. Theeyewear apparatus of claim 1, additionally comprising: said firstsurface positionable said projecting edge portion being substantiallyplanar thereby providing means to increase a contact area of said seal.3. The eyewear apparatus of claim 1, additionally comprising: saidcurved lens portion having an exterior surface opposite said interiorsurface;
 4. The eyewear apparatus of claim 1, additionally comprising:means for biased engagement of said first surface of said projectingedge portion in contact with said face of said user.
 5. The eyewearapparatus of claim 2, additionally comprising: means for biasedengagement of said first surface of said projecting edge portion incontact with said face of said user.
 6. The eyewear apparatus of claim3, additionally comprising: means for biased engagement of said firstsurface of said projecting edge portion in contact with said face ofsaid user.
 7. The eyewear apparatus of claim 1, additionally comprising:said projecting edge having a second surface, opposite said firstsurface; said first surface formed of thermoplastic material which issofter than said second surface; said first surface thereby providingmeans for cushioning for increased comfort of said user when saideyewear apparatus is in said as-worn position for long time periods. 8.The eyewear apparatus of claim 1, additionally comprising: two orificesand containing walls within said mask to accept and contain thermal andmoisture pads;
 9. The eyewear apparatus of claim 2, additionallycomprising: two orifices and containing walls within said mask to acceptand contain thermal and moisture pads.
 10. The eyewear apparatus ofclaim 1, additionally comprising: two plugs designed to house withinsaid orifices within said mask to confine temperature and moisturewithin the mask.
 11. The eyewear apparatus of claim 2, additionallycomprising: two plugs designed to house within said orifices within saidmask to confine temperature and moisture within the mask.